Food manufacturing software for lot tracking, recipes and recalls
Receive raw materials by lot and expiration, produce finished goods from recipes and BOMs, track every pallet by LPN, and trace any lot forward or backward in seconds. Invoices sync to QuickBooks or Xero.
Food manufacturing inventory software, explained
Packem is food manufacturing inventory software and a cloud warehouse management system for small and mid-size food, beverage and other manufacturers that turn raw materials into finished goods. It tracks every ingredient and packaging lot from purchase order to production to the customer who received it.
Cibao Meat Products, makers of authentic cured meats, including salami, longaniza and chorizo, since 1969, run their warehouse on Packem.
From raw materials to finished goods, in one system
Food inventory management from purchase order to invoice: buy, receive, produce, ship and bill without spreadsheets in between. Lot and date data follows the product the whole way.
Recipe and bill of materials (BOM) management
Define each product's recipe or bill of materials once: ingredients, packaging and quantities per batch. Work orders pull the right component lots, and every batch becomes a new finished goods lot you can track.
- Recipes and bills of materials for food and non-food products
- Work orders consume ingredient and packaging lots from inventory
- Finished goods lot created with manufacturing date and expiration date
- Components, packaging and services used in production are all tracked
- Batch tracking: every batch records the component lots and quantities it used
- Kitting and assembly for bundles, gift sets and variety packs
Food traceability software: trace any lot forward or backward
Packem's lot traceability works in seconds. When a supplier recalls an ingredient, see every finished lot that used it, what is still on your shelves, and which customers received it. Start from a finished lot and see every ingredient, supplier and PO behind it.
Reverse lot tracking
From a finished goods lot back to every ingredient and packaging lot, supplier and purchase order.
Forward lot tracking
From a raw material lot to every finished lot, the stock still on hand, and every customer order shipped.
Audit-ready records
Lot numbers, dates, quantities and shipments recorded on every scan, ready when a customer, auditor or the FDA asks.
See how Packem would trace your lots
Book a 20-minute walkthrough built around your recipes, lots and recall process.
Scan raw materials in and finished goods out
Issue purchase orders, receive against them with a scanner, and label pallets with LPNs. Your team always knows what is on each pallet, where it is, and when it expires.
- Purchase orders to suppliers for ingredients and packaging
- Receive by scan with lot number, expiration date and manufacturing date
- LPN pallet and carton tracking, plus GS1-128 / SSCC labels
- Put-away, transfers and cycle counts on Android scanners
- FEFO picking so the oldest product ships first
Ship orders, invoice customers, sync to QuickBooks or Xero
Take outbound orders from distributors, retailers and your online store. Every shipment records the lots it contained, and invoices flow to your accounting system.
- Outbound orders for wholesale, retail and DTC customers
- Lot numbers recorded on every order shipped
- Invoices synced to QuickBooks Online or Xero
- Shopify, WooCommerce, TikTok Shop and ShipStation integrations
- Retail EDI through SPS Commerce (Target, Petco, Amazon and more)
Lighter than an ERP. Built for the warehouse floor.
Many small and mid-size manufacturers outgrow spreadsheets and QuickBooks inventory long before they need a full food manufacturing ERP. Manufacturing inventory software like Packem fills that gap.
| Spreadsheets + QuickBooks | Packem + QuickBooks/Xero | Full food ERP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lot & expiration tracking | Manual, error-prone | Captured on every scan | Yes |
| Recipes & BOM production | Not really | Work orders consume component lots | Yes |
| Forward & reverse lot trace | Hours of digging | Seconds | Yes |
| Scanner-based receiving & picking | No | Yes, on Android devices | Often an add-on |
| Time to go live | — | Weeks | Often months |
| Who sets it up | You | Packem team, on screen share | Consultants |
Built for manufacturers that track by lot
Food & beverage manufacturers
Meats, snacks, baked goods, sauces, beverages, ingredients and specialty foods with lots, shelf life and recall requirements.
Process manufacturing
Process manufacturing and manufacturing inventory software for any operation that turns raw materials into finished goods and needs lot, expiration and batch records.
Selling wholesale, retail and DTC
Ship to distributors and retailers (including EDI) and to online customers from the same inventory.
“It is our 1-stop solution from PO issuance, packing list updates by the suppliers along with receiving, all the way down to inventory management and order fulfillment (pick-pack-ship).”
Food manufacturing software questions
What is food manufacturing software?
Food manufacturing software tracks raw materials, production and finished goods for companies that make food and beverage products. Packem covers the inventory and warehouse side: purchase orders, lot and expiration tracking, recipes and bills of materials, production work orders, pallet (LPN) tracking, outbound orders, invoicing, and forward and reverse lot traceability for recalls.
Does Packem track lot numbers, expiration dates and manufacturing dates?
Yes. Lot numbers and expiration dates are captured when raw materials are received and scanned, and every production run creates a finished goods lot with its manufacturing date and expiration date. Stock can be viewed by item, lot, expiration and location, and picked first-expired, first-out (FEFO).
How does reverse lot tracking work during a recall?
Packem links every component lot consumed in production to the finished goods lots it went into. Reverse tracing starts from a finished lot and shows the ingredient and packaging lots, suppliers and purchase orders behind it. Forward tracing starts from a raw material lot and shows every finished lot that used it, what is still in the warehouse, and which customers and orders received it.
Can I produce finished goods from recipes or a bill of materials?
Yes. You create recipes and bills of materials (BOMs) with the ingredients, packaging and other components each product needs. A work order consumes the component lots from inventory and adds the finished goods to stock under a new lot. Components, packaging and services used in production are tracked so each can be accounted for.
Does Packem support batch tracking for food production?
Yes. Every production run is a batch with its own finished goods lot, manufacturing date and expiration date, and Packem records exactly which ingredient and packaging lots and quantities went into it. That batch record is what powers forward and reverse lot traceability.
Does Packem track pallets with LPNs?
Yes. Pallets and cartons get license plate numbers (LPNs) so you can receive, put away, move and ship a full pallet with one scan while keeping the lot and expiration detail of everything on it. Packem can print GS1-128 labels with SSCC numbers for retail shipments.
Does Packem integrate with QuickBooks and Xero?
Yes. Invoices created in Packem sync to QuickBooks Online or Xero, so production, shipping and billing don't have to be re-keyed into your accounting system. Packem also connects to Shopify, WooCommerce, TikTok Shop and ShipStation, and to retailers through EDI via SPS Commerce.
Does Packem help with FSMA 204 traceability records?
Packem records the lot numbers, dates, quantities, suppliers and shipments behind every receipt, production run and outbound order, so you can pull a lot's full history when a customer, auditor or the FDA asks for it. Talk to us about the specific records your products require.
Is Packem an ERP?
No. Packem is an inventory and warehouse management system built for the warehouse floor: receiving, production, lot tracking, picking and shipping, with invoices synced to QuickBooks or Xero. Many small and mid-size manufacturers use Packem with QuickBooks or Xero instead of a full ERP, which typically takes longer to implement and costs more.
How much does Packem cost for manufacturers?
Packem's base price is $950/month for small 3PLs and brands. Your plan is quoted on your order volume, number of warehouses and any EDI or custom integrations. Book a 20-minute call to get a quote for your operation.
See Packem run your production floor
Book a 20-minute walkthrough built around your recipes, lots and order flow.
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